Man accused of soliciting pre-teens on Facebook

Updated 7:41 am, Thursday, September 13, 2012

Duane Charles Parker, 49, is accused of sending sexual messages to at least 17 seventh grade girls through Facebook. He was arrested in August.

Duane Charles Parker, 49, is accused of sending sexual messages to at least 17 seventh grade girls through Facebook. He was arrested in August.

Photo: Montgomery County Pct. 4

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Duane Charles Parker of Lafayette, Louisiana, 49, was arrested in August. He faces two counts of online solicitation of a minor under 14 and one count of first-degree felony Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.

Duane Charles Parker of Lafayette, Louisiana, 49, was arrested in August. He faces two counts of online solicitation of a minor under 14 and one count of first-degree felony Aggravated Sexual Assault of a

Duane Charles Parker, 49, is accused sending a group of at least 17 girls on Facebook sexual messages and posting sending videos of himself masturbating. He was arrested in August in Webster.

Duane Charles Parker, 49, is accused sending a group of at least 17 girls on Facebook sexual messages and posting sending videos of himself masturbating. He was arrested in August in Webster.

Photo: Montgomery County Pct. 4

Man accused of soliciting pre-teens on Facebook

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A 49-year-old man accused of sending sexual messages and videos to young girls on Facebook is "every parent's nightmare," a Montgomery County constable said.

Duane Charles Parker, of Lafayette, La., was arrested last month in Webster after an investigation uncovered sexual messages sent to more than a dozen preteens, including a video of him masturbating while saying what he would like to do to a seventh-grade girl, officials said Wednesday.

Parker, also known as Johnny Pepper, is charged with two counts of online solicitation of a minor under 14 in Montgomery County. He is also charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in Galveston County after a Child Protective Services re-examined a case involving a relative.

Montgomery County officials said they believe Parker may have solicited other young girls using Facebook.

Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth Hayden, who at one point had five men working on the investigation, said Parker was every parent's nightmare.

"He's the person you warn your kids about, and the reason we have to teach our children not to talk to strangers in person or online, even if they seem nice," Hayden said. "Parker managed to befriend well over a dozen little girls without their parents' knowledge with the intention of using them for his own twisted sexual gratification."

Parker was arrested on Aug. 13, with bail set at $300,000. A Montgomery County judge on Sept. 6 denied his request to lower his bond.

The mother of an east Montgomery County girl first alerted authorities after she noticed comments from an unfamiliar name on her daughter's Facebook page. His profile picture was of a sports car, and no listed date of birth was on his page.

The girl told her mother that she had accepted Parker's friend request because they had several mutual friends. The investigation found that he allegedly connected with at least 17 seventh-grade schoolmates in Montgomery County.

The Facebook account was deleted by the time law enforcement officers were contacted. Investigators said they believe Parker had become paranoid and was moving on to a different set of girls.

Authorities said he returned to Facebook as "Johnny Pepper" and contacted girls. This time, law enforcement officers took control of the accounts and communicated with Parker as if they were the young girls, deputies said.

Parker runs, "1-800-CRAWFISH" or "Crawfish Unlimited," which involves trips between south Louisiana and southeast Texas, officials said. Investigators said they identified him at a restaurant in Webster, where he arrived to deliver an order.

The investigation into Parker's Facebook activity led to a re-examination of a sexual abuse complaint filed in 2008. The complaint said he abused a then-6-year-old relative.

In 2010, Parker was convicted of indecent exposure in Galveston after exposing himself to a 17-year-old Starbucks employee. Authorities said it was unclear when Parker moved to Louisiana.

Anyone with information on this case, or who may have been a victim, should contact Montgomery County Precinct 4 Capt. Mark Seals at 281-577-8985.